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Carolyn Astfalk reviews Forgiven: A Guide to Confession & the Examen Prayer, a portable, practical guide to the sacrament. 


Forgiven: A Guide to Confession & the Examen Prayer

by Sisters Orianne Pietra René Dyck, FSP and Allison Regina Gliot, FSP
Published by Pauline Books & Media


Forgiven: A Guide to Confession & the Examen Prayer by Orianne Pietra René Dyck, FSP and Allison Regina Gliot, FSP (Pauline Books & Media) is an easy-to-read, relatable guide and explanation that will ease any trepidation about confessing, whether it’s your first Confession or you’ve been confessing regularly for years.  

 

Forgiven

 

As summer turns to fall and moves at a rapid clip toward winter, it’s natural to turn our gaze toward the end. Death, or dormancy that looks like death, is all around us in North America as we approach both the end of the calendar and liturgical years. 

The daily Mass readings turn to our earthly end and the contemplation of our mortality as we enter Advent. If we’ve developed our conscience at all, the thought of meeting Jesus, our just but merciful judge, face to face, should stir introspection. We look with a mixture of reverent fear and remorse at the ways we’ve damaged or broken our relationship with God. 

In His mercy, God offers us a remedy for repairing that relationship: sacramental Confession. Confessing our sins aloud may seem intimidating, especially if we don’t fully understand its purpose or even the mechanics of making a good Confession. 

 

An invitation to reconcile 

Forgiven’s comfortable, conversational tone affirms its loving approach, which is both understanding yet firm, emphasizing God’s merciful love transmitted through the sacrament. The book is aimed at young people (ages 14+), but anyone can benefit from the simple wisdom shared in its pages. 

 

Practical tools for making a good Confession 

I’m on an endless quest for a thorough and challenging examination of conscience, and Forgiven offers one of the best I’ve come across, including simple, relevant questions that prompt thoughtful responses. 

The FAQs are eminently practical, answering questions such as “What if I blank out?”, “Can’t I just tell God?”, and “What if I don’t sin?”  

To aid penitents in making good confessions, the book includes several examples of a daily examen so that the reader can choose which one best suits them, de-mystifying this traditional practice of reflecting upon the day. 

 

Prayerful resources 

Relevant quotes from saints accompany each section, and many common Catholic prayers are included, including the Rosary and Stations of the Cross. 

Selected Scripture passages related to repentance and forgiveness are included along with guiding questions that allow the reader to go deeper, followed by a prayer. 

If you are looking for a resource to increase your understanding of and appreciation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Forgiven is your go-to guide. It’s appropriate for teens, converts to Catholicism, and any Catholic seeking to make better use of God’s great gift of mercy. 

 

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Ask for Forgiven at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Pauline Books & Media.

 

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Copyright 2024 Carolyn Astfalk
Images: iStockPhoto.com, licensed for use by Holy Cross Family Ministries
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